Tank-car discharge-valve mechanism



A. E.'0STRANDER. T ANK CAR DlSCHARGE VALVE NECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-27,1916.

Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

[7206 702592" AZknEOsfrqzZq Alarriy UNITED STATES PATIENT'OFFICE;

ALLEN E. OSTRANDER, OF RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAR OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,

AN D FOUNDRY COMPANY, JERSEY.

A CORPORATION OF NEW TANK-CAR DISCHARGE-VALVE MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 27,1916. Serial No. 122,517.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALLEN E OsrRANDER, residing at Ridgewood, Bergen county, State of New Jersey, and being a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tank-Car Discharge-Valve Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact detailsof construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof within the scope of the claims will occur to persons skilled in the art.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a vertical section taken transversely of a tank car and shows the valve mechanism of the tank outlet, an intermediate portion of the valve mechanism being broken away;

Fig. 2 is another vertical section of the upper portion of the valve mechanism showp the valve stem;

ing the valve stem bracket attached to a portion of the tank dome, said section being taken at a right angle to the corresponding portion of Fig. 1;

- Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2 and illustrates the mode of securing the hand-wheel in place;

Fig. 4 is another horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2 and illustrates the key that is adapted to prevent rotation of and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the transverse contour of a tank of comparatively light sheet construction, the full lines representing the shape of the tank when it is filled with lading, and the dotted linesindicating the change in the tank contour after the lading has been discharged and no longer assists in preserving the more nearly true circular cross sectionaloutline of the of lading until .60 accidental unseating of the main main valve becomes unintentionally unseated, it will, upon the removal of the unseating influence, immediately and automatically reestablish its former closure.

IVhile the main and auxiliary valves independently shut off communication from the tank, means of lading egress, they co-act to permit a lading dischargeand their mutual cooperation'is essential to an intentional out-- flow of lading.

The valves are protected by a housing adapted to be ruptured in a predetermined manner that insures the preservation, efli-.

ciency and operativeness of the auxiliary valve. Upon the housing being ruptured, as indicated, as the result of an accident, the auxiliary valve will remain seated if it is in its closed position, irrespective of what happens to the main vvalve, thus preventing the escape'of lading.

Such features as have not already been referred to will become manifestin whatfollows and are, of present invention.

In the drawings, 1 represents a shell of the tank of a tank car, or other lading container, a portionof the underside of the tank shell being illustrated in Fig. 1. Said tank shell. 1 when filled with lading is circular in cross section'as indicated in full lines in Fig. 5. Riveted or otherwise secured to tank shell 1 is a main valve casing 2 which has an enlarged upper portion and a lower portion of reduced diameter, which lower portion extends for a considerable distance below the bottom of the tank shell 1 to form a discharge nozzle and is usually closed at its bottom by a cap (not shown). A main outlet valve 8 is-adapted to engage valve seat 4 at the upper extremity of the course, included in the or other lading container, to the commodating the main valve wings 5,

reduced portion of the main valve casing 2. Main outlet valve 3- has depending wings 5, the outer edges of which are adapted to be in sliding contact with an internal guide surface 6 in the reduced portion of the main valve casing, which internal guide surface extends for a suitable distance below the valve seat 4;

Main outlet valve 8 has an upper hollow extension 7 into which extends the lower end of a valve stem 8, said lower valve stem end being slotted as at 9. A suitable pin 10 passes through'the opposite sides of the annular wall of the upper extension 7 of the main outlet valve 3, passing through slot 9 and making a connection between the main valve and the valve stem 8.

A portion of main outlet valve 3 and its upper extension 7 is located within an auxiliary outlet-valve 11. -Auxiliary valve 11, in its lower portion, is cylindrical and has an annular valve flange beveled on its under side to conform to a valve seat. in extending above the annular flange, the auxiliary valve shell curves inwardly and merges at its upper extremity with a cylindrical, internally threaded, collar. An auxiliary valve seat casting 12 is also secured to the under side of tank shell 1, being provided with an attachment flange for that purpose, below which flange the casting is cylindrical.' Said auxiliary valve seat casting, it'

will be noted, is housed in the upper enlarged portion of the main valve casing, the valve chamber in that casing .not only acbut being enlarged for the reception of the auxiliary valve seat casting 12. The lower cylindrical portion of auxiliary valve 11 is provided with outlet ports 13 which, when the auxiliary valve is closed, are themselves closed by the cylindrical shell of the auxiliaryseat casting 12, the valve flange of the auxiliary valve at this time being firmly seated upon the valve seat 14 of the auxiliary seat casting 12.

Threaded into the upper collar portion of auxiliary valve 11 is a tubular housing 15 which extends upwardly toward the top of the tank. Fitted into the upper end oi tube 15 and having threaded connection therewith,'is a guide bushing 16 which projects above tube 15 and forms a seat for the bot- 1 tom of compression spring 17 which is adapted to force the auxiliary valve 11 against its seat. I

The upper end of spring 1'? is seated against the under side of a valve stem healing 18 that forms a part of the free end of bracket 19, which bracket is secured to a vertically arranged portion 20 of dome head 21.

The main valve stem 8 extends from its connection with the upper extension or main outlet valve 3 upwardly through guide bushing 16 and the valve stem bearing 18, both a of which serve as bearings and guides for said valve stem 8. The latter continues to extend above valve stem bearing 18 a suitable distanceand has threaded onto it a hand-wheel 22, the hub 23 of which is re duced in its lower portion to fit into a. socket 24.- in the upper part of valve stem bearing '18.

That valve stem 8 may have vertical travel, the hand-wheel hub 28 serves as a revoluble, but vertically stationary, nut. Hand-wheel 22 is prevented from having vertical travel by having its lower reduced hub portion provided with an. annular groove 25, best seen in Fig. 8. The socket portion of valve stem bearing 18 is provided with bosses 26 which, with the metal of the socket portion of said valve stem bearing 18, affords suitable support for bolts 27 which are held rigidly in place tangentially through the annular groove 25 in the reduced portion of hand-wheel hub 23.

In order to render the rotation of handwheel 22 efl'ective, it is necessary that valve stem 8 shall be non-rotative'. To this end, the upper portion of said valve stem 8 is provided with'a key-way 28, into which projects a key 29, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4:. Key 29 has an o-ii set portion or projection at its upper extremity, on one side thereof, which engages the upper internal shoulderin the valve stem bearing 18, preventing longitudinal movement of the key. Said key 29 is placed in position before the passage of valve stem 8 through the stem bearing 18, part of said key fitting into the metal of stem bearing 18, and an inner longitudinal edge portion being slidably fitted within key-way 28. When the parts are assembled, as shown in Fig. 2, hand-wheel 22 may be rotated in either direction, but; cannot travel upwardly. As valve stem 8 cannot rotate, but is free to have vertical movement, the rotation of hand-wheel 22 will cause said valve stem to move up or down, according to the rotation of the hand-wheel.

The outlet valve mechanism hereinbefore described is adapted for installation in any type of tank car or other tanks. When the tank 1 is constructed-of comparatively light sheets and is empty, it will, to a greater or less extent, become deformed from the shape of a true cylinder, so that its cross section will, to a minor degree, be elliptical as indi cated in dotted lines in Fig. 5. Desiring to fill a tank, which, because of its relatively light construction, assumes the elliptical cross sectional contour just referred to, hand-wheel 22 is rotated to drive valve stem 8 downwardly until main outlet valve 3 becomes seated at 4, in Fig. 1. Auxil ary valve actuating spring 17 presses against guide bushing 16, forcing down tube 15 and the auxiliary outlet valve 11 until the letter main outlet engages its seat 14, both the main valve 3 and auxiliary valve 11 being then in closed positions.

As the lading fills the tank 1, the latter swells in much the same fashion as a hose through which water is transmitted until said tank 1 becomes cylindrical instead of elliptical. In changing the contour of its the uppermost part 0t tank -1 rises, and with no compensating means employed main outlet valve 3 would be raised from its seat 4 in the main valve casmg 2, rendering the main valve ineffective.

Avoidance of this condition 1S accom- .plished by the interposition of a compensating spring 30 between the under sides of lugs 31 of the auxiliary valve 11 and the. upper surface of the annular flange-like portion of main outlet valve 3. Consequently, as the upper part of tank 1 rises during the g. pretaess, dome head 21 carries bracket 19 upwardly, raising hand-wheel 22 with it, and therefore valve stem 8, which is thread- ;ed into'the hub of the hand-wheel. Pin 10,

connecting valve stem 8 with upper extension 7 of main outlet valve 3, moves from the bottom of slot 9 to the top thereof as valve 3 is prevented from risb .the li ht com ensating spring 30. ti is t hus seen that, oiibe seated, main outlet valve 3 remains so notwithstanding the change in the cross section of tank 1 conwhat .was a vertical -minor axis into the diameter of a circle. not uncommon in tank car construction to so build tanks that they will be stifi' enough to permanently retain their cylindricity; Where this is the case, slot 9 and compensating spring 30 may be elimlnated, there being no need for a supplemental take-up when there is no change in the vertical stroke of main outlet valve 3.

vetting thereo It is With both the main outletvalve 3 and auxiliary valve 11 closed, lading may be safely transported in tank 1 from one place to another, though there are always potential accidents in railroad operation. To

. guard against such an accident affecting the reliability of the valve mechanism, main valve ,casing 2 is provided with an annular breakage groove 32 in its portion of reduced diameter. Main valve casing 2 hap- .pening to be struck a sufi'iciently severe blow,

will break off below breakage groove 32.

In many cases the main outlet valve 3 will not be impaired in'any way, but should the accident causing such rupture of main valve easing 2 result in main .outlet valve 3 being riven into an unseated position, light spring 30 will ordinarily force main outlet 7 valve 3 back against its seat 4 as soon as the tact. If, however,

deflective influence is removed. In the meantime, auxiliary valve 11 has maintained the closure of the lading egress passage mfrom the interior of vice provided with main outlet valve 3 is so dislocated as to be held against a return to its normal position b spring 30, it will be incapable of'rising in a vertical direction to an extent greater than the travel of pin 10 in slot 9 at the bottom of valve stem 8. this travel is relatively small, no appreciableefi'ect will be had upon spring 30 and therefore auxiliary valve 11 will not be raised to become unseated, but will preserve the lading-retaining qualities of the valve mechanism unimpaired. The tank car consequently may go on to its destination without any loss of lading from the tank.

aving arrived at a place where it is desired to discharge the lading, the dome cap 33 of dome 21, as shown in Fig. 5, is removed to afford access to hand-wheel 22 which is rotated in a direction'to raise valve stem 8. As valve stem 8 moves upwardly, main outlet valve 3 is carried up against the action of the light spring 30 until it assumes the dash line position indicated in Fig. 1. When in this position, the upper surface of upper extension] of main outlet valve 3 is in contact with the under sides of lugs 31. Continued upward travel of valve stem 8 causes the upper extension 7 of main outlet valve 3 to raise the auxiliary valve 11 with it until the main valve 3 and auxiliary valve 11 assume the dot and dash line positions of Fig. 1, during which movement' ports 13 move out of the cylindrical portion of the auxiliary valve seat casting and to a height which brings the bottoms of ports. 13 substantially into coincidence with the lower portion of valve seat 14 of auxiliary seat casting 12. Lading will then flow tank 1 through auxiliary valve ports 13 into the interior of that valve and between the wings 5 of main outlet valve 3 and on through the chamber or passageway in the main valve casing to the then opened discharge nozzle.

After the discharge ofthe lading, the valve mechanism is operated as in the initial instance, closing the tank which may be filled again when occasion arises, after which the manipulation of the valve mechanism is the same as has already been de scribed.

What I claim is:

1. In combination in a structure for a fluid lading, a tank, a lading discharge dea conduit having valve seats, a main valve and an auxiliary valve, the latter comprising a hollow shell having a portion slidable in said conduit and pro vided with outlet ports normally closed by the conduit wall, a valve flange adapted to close against one of said seats, an upper portion provided with internal shoulders, a

tubular extension and a valve s,'tem-guide-' 'to position the vports thereof so as the tank interior and conduit in communipassing through the latter and adapted to be actuated to unseat said main valve and to cause the same to engage and move said shoulders to unseat said auxiliary valve and to place cation.

2. In combination in a structure for a fluid lading, a tank, a lading discharge device provided with a conduit having main and auxiliary valve seats, a main valve and a hollow auxiliary valve into which said main valve projects, said auxiliary valve being provided with ports, yielding means normally maintaining said auxiliary valve seated and said ports closed, and means adapted to seat said main valve and also to unseat the same and cause it to unseat said auxiliary valve and position said ports to place the tank interior and the conduit in communication. V

3. In combination in a structure for fluid lading, a tank, a lading discharge device having main and auxiliary valve seats, a main valve and an auxiliary valve, a valve stem connected with said main valve, guidedly extending'through and projecting beyond said auxiliary in said projecting portion with screw threads and a key-way, bracket, a valve stem bearing carried thereby, a key interlocked with said bearing and pro ecting into said key-way, yielding means for seating said auxiliary valve and a threaded device cooperating with the threaded valve stem portion to seat said main valve and also to unseat the same and cause it to open said auxiliary valve 4. In a device adapted to control the discharge of fluid lading from a tank, a discharge nozzle, a main valve plug adapted to be seated therein, an auxiliary valve, and means engaging said auxiliary valve and said main valve and acting normally to ma1nta1n the main valve plug on its seat and serving to automatically reseat said valve plug should it become accidentally unseated.

5. In a device adapted to control dis charge of fluid lading from a tank of a railway tank car, a supporting means, a rotata-- ble hand-wheel supported at a fixed altitude with relation to said means, a vertically movable valve stem controllable by said hand-wheel, a main valve-plug movable vertically both with and independently of said valve stem, an auxiliary valve surrounding said valve plug and means adapted to automatically reseat said main valve plug if it becomes accidentally unseated.

6. In a device adapted to control discharge of fluid lading from a tank of a railway tan valve plug movable independentl 0f 1 system, an auxiliary valve, means'ada-pted' "at them and seats therevalve and provided a suitably supported and bearing iary valve adapted to automatically reseat said valve plug if it becomes accidentally" unseatedi -7. In a device adapted to control disupon the valve plug and auxil -x chargeof fluidlading from a tank of arail way tank car, an outlet nozzle, a valveplug movable independently of .its stem and adapted to be yieldably held seated in said nozzle, an auxiliary valve controlling said outlet nozzle and a cooperating. spring engaging said valves adapted to aflect said valve plug while the auxiliary valve remains seated.

8.In a charge of fluid leding from a tank of a rail-" way tank car, a ladlng discharge nozzle, a

manually operable valve plug movable independently of its stem and an auxiliary valve off escape vof lading.

both adapted to ,cut through said nozzle, an auxlliaryvalve seat and guide within sald discharge nozzle, and

device adapted to control disa spring within the auxiliary valve bearing thereagainst and against said valve plug,

adapted to cause ownward movementofl the valve plug. i 9. In combination a tank, valve stem bearing immovably supported thereby, a

valve stem movable vertically within said bearing, a main valve connected with the.

lower end of said stem and movable verti cally independently thereof yielding means engaging said main valve, an aux liary valve within which said main valve is adapt ed to move, a spring intermediate and bear:

ing on said bearing and said" auxiliary valve,

and means adapted to vertically move said stem to actuate said valves. X '10. In combination a tank, a valve stem bearing immovably supported thereby, a

non-rotatable valve stem movable vertically within said bearing, a main valve connected with the lower end able vertically independently thereof yieldof said stem and mov-,

ing means engaging said main valve, an

auxiliary valve within valve is adapted to move, v I diate said bearing and said aux haryvalve and. bearing on both, and means adapted to move said stem to actuate said valves,

Which said main a spring lnterme 11. In a device adapted tocontrolthe disf charge of fluid lading car, a main valve and an auxiliary valve, spaced seats for the valves, 'and'separate means acting to. oppose each other and serving to yieldably retain each of the valves on their seats when closed.

12. In a device adapted to control the discharge of fluid lading from a railway tank car, a main valve and a casing therefor in cluding a valve seat, amanually operated valve stem operatively connected to andfor a portion of its ently of the valve, an auxiliary valve and a from a railway tank travel movable independcasing thereforincluding valve seat, each? of said casings serving to guide their re spective valves during movement, separate spring means, each having different compression" characteristics, acting to oppose each other and serving to normally and yieldably maintain the valves on their respective seats against accidental unseating.

13. In a device adapted to control the discharge of fluid lading from a railway tank car, a main valve yieldably maintained in a closed position, a valve stem having a slidable connection with the valve to permit of independent vertical movement therebetween, and an auxiliary valve arranged to telescopically receive the main valve and yieldably connected for slidable movement on the stem, a spring in the auxiliary valve serving to yieldably maintain the main vah'e on its seat when both valves are closed. and means for causing vertical travel of the stem to positively actuate the valves.

14. In a device adapted to control the discharge of fluid lading from a railway tank car, a spring pressed main valve, an auxiliary valve capable of receiving the main I valve and its spring, a valve stem capable of a non-rotating vertical movement and having the auxiliary valve yieldably connected to and slidably mounted thereon, a pin and slot connection between the valve stemand the main valve to permit of a predetermined amount of independent movement therebetween, and means to produce a vertical movement of the stem to actuate the valves.

15. In a device adapted to control the discharge of fluid lading from a railway tank car, a main valve and a seat therefor. a spring acting to normally retain said valve on it seat, a valve stem connected to the valve, the connection being suflicient to permit of a predetermined amount of independent vertical movement therebetween, an auxiliary valve slidably mounted on the stem, a seat for the valve, spring means acting to normally seat said valve, and means for operating said stem to produce an actuation ofthe valves.

16. In a device adapted to control the discharge of fluid lading from a railway tank car, a main valve of the puppet type provided with wings, a seat for the valve,

guides to cooperate with the wings, a vertically movable and non-rotatable valve stem having a pin and slot connection with the main valve to permit of independent vertical movement therebetween, a ported sleeve-like auxiliary valve slidably mountedon the stem, a seat for the valve, a spring acting to hold the valve on its seat, a spring interposed between the main and auxiliary valves and inclosed by the latter valve,'said spring serving to maintain the main valve on'its seat, and means for causing vertical,

travel of the valve stem to positively actuate the main valve and to seat and unseat the' [auxiliary valve. 7

17. In a device adapted to control the discharge ofyfluid lading from a tank of a railway tank car. a lading discharge nozindependently of its stem and an auxiliary valve to telescopically receive the plug valve, both of said valves being adapted to cut oil escape of lading through said nozzle, and an auxiliary valve seat and guide within said discharge nozzle, and a spring in the auxiliary valve and bearing on the plug valve adapted to cause a'downward movement of the plug valve.

18. In combination a tank, a valve stem bearing immovably supported thereby, a valve stem movable vertically within said bearing, a main valve connected with the lower end of said stem and movable vertically independently thereof, yielding means engaging said main valve, an auxiliary valve slidable on the stem and which is capable of receiving the main valve therein, a spring intermediate and bearing on said bearing and said auxiliary valve, and means adapted to vertically move said stem to actuate said valves.

'70 zle, a manually operable plug val've movable-,

19. A device adapted to control the discharge of fluid lading from the tank of a railway tank car,'comprising a plurality of valves, each capable of independent movement relative to the other, a nonrotatable valve stem for the valves adapted to have vertical movement without actuatingeither of said valves, and means for.

moving said valve stem to actuate the valves.

20. A device adapted to control the discharge of fluid lading from the tank of a railway tank car, comprising a non-rotatable valvestem, a plurality of valves on the stem, each capable of moving thereon independently of the other, a connection between one of the valves and the stem to permit of an independent non-rotating vertical movement therebetween and 21150 capable of positively actuating the valve, a spring interposed between said latter valve and another valve and bearing against both valves,

and means for moving the valve stem to vsliding the cup-like valve against the action of its'spring.

23. In a device adapted to control the dischargeof fluid lad'mg from the tank of a railway tank car, valve seats, valves spring evogreo pressed to said seats, a valve stem loosely connected to one of said valves and adapted to actuate said valves against the action of said springs.

24.. In a device adapted to control the discharge of fluid lading from the tank of a railway tank car, valve seats, valves spring pressed to said seats, a valve stem loosely connected to one of said valves and adapted to actuate one valve against the action of its spring and to operate both valves against the resistance of the other spring. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

ALLEN E. OSTRANDER. Witnesses:

H. C. LUNGER, W; H. SELDEN. 

